


Bird On A Wire

by she_whomustnotbenamed



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 18:02:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14242785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/she_whomustnotbenamed/pseuds/she_whomustnotbenamed
Summary: The beginning of a relationship is never easy. Joyce and Hopper, are no exception.





	Bird On A Wire

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a response to an angst prompt submitted to my Tumblr by the fabulous (angst queen of my heart) @this-is-allison. 
> 
> Prompt:   
> Hopper finds out one of the women he slept with is pregnant shortly after him and Joyce get together.
> 
> Warning: Angst alert!

Eager for a distraction from his boring homework, Will listened to his mother talk on the phone. Since he could only hear her side of the conversation, he could do nothing but imagine the rest.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it...yeah...we can do it another time.”

From his spot at the dining room table, Will craned his neck and watched as her shoulders slumped. Her tone was soft and understanding, but her body language told a different story.

“No, no. Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”

Absentmindedly she wrapped the phone cord around her hand. When it reached the end, she let the cord unravel, and then started all over again. Her face, that had been happy just minutes before, was now etched with lines of disappointment.

Noticing the change, Will frowned and watched as she ducked her head down. The call ended not too long after that and he quickly turned back to his homework before he could get caught eavesdropping.

Several minutes went by before Joyce padded into the room and peered over his shoulder. “How’s the essay coming?”

“Boring.”

Affectionately, she smoothed down his dark hair. “I’d say that you’ll never need it again, but English seems pretty important.”

Will cracked a smile. “Who was on the phone?”

“Hopper.” Joyce moved to straighten up some stray mail that had accumulated over the past week. She didn’t notice that her son was following her movements with sudden interest.

“Is he okay?” Lately, she had been grinning like a schoolgirl whenever Hopper’s name came up, but today was an exception, a noticeable one.

Distracted by her thoughts, the question threw Joyce off guard and she looked up with a confused frown. “What? Oh, yeah, yeah. He’s fine.” Eventually, she added, “something came up at the station, so we won’t be going out tonight.” Will opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hands to stop him. “I know I said I’d give you some space for your game tonight, and I will. I promise. I’ll just be here...instead of out.”

“It’s okay, mom.”

Joyce worried over her bottom lip with her teeth. “I’m sorry, baby. I know you want space…”

“It’s okay!” he insisted again, with a shake of his head. “Is El still coming?”

Joyce’s lips parted. “Like anyone could stop her.”

Hopper had planned to take Joyce out that night. It was supposed to be their first real date since high school. Though they had been in a relationship for the past two months (one that had started after a night of alcohol induced lust at Karen’s birthday party), they had yet to go on an official date. The date was also a chance to give the kids the space and freedom that they desperately longed for. “He’s dropping her off on his way into work.”

“Good. You don’t have to worry about staying out of the way, mom.” He couldn’t get over the disappointment that practically radiated off of her, no matter how hard she was trying to hide it from him.

Finishing up with the mail, she smiled and then pressed a kiss on the top of his head. “You’re sweet, but I’ve got a book or two that I’ve been meaning to read anyway.”

***

“Sweetie, you don’t have to knock,” reminded Joyce as she greeted the girl who was standing on the porch. Eleven (who now answered to both El and Jane) was practically a resident.

Eleven smiled and wrapped her arms around Joyce. She loved Hopper. He was an amazing adoptive father, but she craved the type of affection that only Joyce could provide. “Sorry.”

“Don’t say sorry. It’s okay.”

Eleven laughed. “Sorry.”

Rolling her eyes, Joyce joined her in laughter. “Between you and Will, I swear.” She peered around her and noticed that Hopper’s blazer was still running in the driveway, with him inside. “He’s not coming in?”

Eleven broke the hug so that she could follow Joyce’s gaze towards the driveway. “No.” She lifted up her hand and waved.

Frowning, Joyce also waved. “Oh, okay.” Hopper’s hand waved through the open window and then he hurriedly pulled away. She watched him go, unable to shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her since his earlier phone call.

“Something came up at the station,” Eleven explained, parroting the words that her father had told her. Joyce looked upset, and she suddenly felt the need to make her feel better. “He’s sorry about your date.”

Joyce smiled and shook her head to rid herself of her confused thoughts. “I know. It’s okay. Come on inside, they’re all waiting for you.” She led the girl inside where she was eagerly greeted by all of her friends. Stepping back to watch the happy scene, she then made good on her promise to give them space.

***

Joyce wasn’t able to concentrate on reading. Whenever she tried to focus on the page, her mind wandered to Hopper. Hours went by and the kids were still enraptured in their game. Having Will safe at home gave her a bit more peace of mind than she would normally have. Her thoughts were still on her boyfriend though, when Jonathan stepped into her bedroom. He had to wave his hand in front of her face to get her attention.

“Jonathan! Sorry, I didn’t hear you come home.”

The teenager’s lips parted into a half smile. “How can you hear anything over that?” He gestured towards the hallway, where the sounds of music and laughter drifted from the living room.

“I’m blocking it out,” Joyce joked.

Suddenly remembering why he had come into the room in the first place, he said, “Hopper’s on the phone for you.” Joyce was up and moving before he could finish, so he followed her out of the room with his brows cinched together in confusion. “Weren’t you guys going to dinner?”

“He ended up having to work.”

“He did?” Unless something dire was going on, the chief wasn’t known for putting in late hours at the station.

In a whisper, she urged him not to worry about it and then shooed him away as she reached for the phone. She stretched it as far from the living room as she could. She was smiling at first, but then her smiled faded when Hopper told her that he would be stuck at the station all night.

“Of course she can stay over, but is everything okay?” Joyce lowered her voice and glanced around to make sure that the she was alone. His response wasn’t all that reassuring and she couldn’t hide her sigh. “Hop…is it the lab, or something?” Six months had passed since their ordeal and things had quieted down in the small town. “You can tell me.”

“No, no…nothing like that,” Hopper insisted. “Listen, I’ve gotta go, but uh, I’ll come by and get her in the morning, okay?”

Joyce’s eyes fluttered shut. The thread that her emotions were hanging on by was dangerously thin. His tone sounded aloof. Almost…indifferent towards her, and she didn’t know what to make of that.

Hopper sighed into her ear. “Joyce, are you there?”

Quickly, she cleared her throat and got herself together. “Yeah, that’s fine. We’ll be here.” Beating him to a rushed goodbye, she ended the call before he could.

 

***

Joyce couldn’t find her keys the next morning. Since this was a daily occurrence, that her boys were used to, they didn’t flinch at her anxious antics. Instead, they continued to watch TV. Eleven finally found them, behind the cookie jar on the counter, and Joyce wrapped her arms around her in relief. “What would I do without you?”

“Skip work?” the girl joked.

“Hopper’s here.” Will called out.

Joyce’s stomach dropped, again, but she was already late for work and didn’t have time to think about it too much. “You better grab your stuff, El.” She grabbed her own purse and lunch. “I’ll walk out with you.”

Assuming that Hopper wasn’t going to come in, Joyce stopped in her tracks when he stepped in the front door. The sight of him instantly flustered her. His eyes scanned the room before eventually landing on hers.

“Morning,” came his gruff greeting. His hat was in his hands. His fingers made rapid movements over the smooth material as he fumbled with it.

Joyce stood frozen in place. The nervousness she felt in his presence was new to her. As he continued to watch her, she grew uncomfortable and tilted her head down and to the right. “Good morning.”

Her overly polite response made him look away. An awkward vibe settled over them and neither were sure how to react. On auto pilot, he went to her and they shared a chaste kiss on the lips. The kiss, somehow made things even more awkward, and Joyce backed away.

Running a hand through his hair, he motioned for El. “Come on, let’s get going.” He then turned back to Joyce. Her eyes, swimming with fear and confusion, were hard to look at. “Thanks for letting her stay.”

“Of course,” she mumbled back.

“I uh. I’ve gotta go. I need to grab a shower before heading back in.” His face was unreadable as he shared one last look with her before leaving.

Bewildered by the overwhelming feeling of rejection, Joyce’s limbs were frozen in place. She watched them go and didn’t turn her gaze away until Jonathan called out to her.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m fine,” she lied. Then, eager to pull herself together, she shook her head and added, “I’m late...I’ve gotta go. You’ll make sure Will gets to school alright?”

Jonathan nodded and then let out a confused sigh as she hurriedly left the house.

 

***

That afternoon, Hopper stopped in his tracks when he noticed her sitting in his office. “J…Joyce…” he stuttered. His tongue felt heavy against the roof of his mouth and preventing him from speaking for several long seconds. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question.” Joyce stood up, her fingers already fumbling with the hem of her blue work shirt.

Hopper’s stomach twisted. Swallowing hard, he took off his hat. Taking the cowardly way out, he stepped around her and sat down behind his desk. “What?”

She saw right through his faux confusion and crossed her arms. “You said you were working last night.” Her brown eyes reflected anger as she laid into him. “But you weren’t.” Hopper held up his hand to interrupt her, but she continued before he could, “Flo told me…she also told me that you weren’t here this morning, either.”

Somehow, Hopper managed to keep his gaze steady, and on her, but as her words continued, he had to avert his. He couldn’t bear to see the pain he was causing. “What’s going on, Hop?” Her tone lost its edge as she practically pleaded for answers. “You could have just told me if you didn’t want to see me anymore. You don’t have to make up reasons to avoid me.”

“No, it’s not that…Joyce…”

“Then, what?” she insisted, cutting him off in the process. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Hopper scratched his forehead and shut his eyes. He didn’t want to tell her. Telling her would make it all real. Telling her…would mean losing her. When he slid his eyes back open, and took in her determined form, still looming over his desk, he knew that he had no choice. He couldn’t avoid her forever and he didn’t want to hurt her any more than he was already going to.

“Linda’s pregnant,” he finally admitted. Watching as Joyce’s face paled, he added, “and it’s mine.” He was too ashamed to look at her after that, so he stared at a crack in the old plaster ceiling instead.

Joyce slid down into a chair before her legs could give out. She didn’t have to ask for any details about Linda. Hopper had been casually dating her up until Karen’s birthday party. The drunken encounter that Joyce and Hopper had shared that night had changed everything. After that night, they had committed to each other. Exclusively. But apparently, fate had other ideas.

Hopper eventually chanced a glance in her direction and frowned when he saw the way she stared off into space. “I shouldn’t have lied to you about being here, it’s just. Uh…, she just told me yesterday and I needed to think…”

Her response was barely audible. “Oh.”

Unsure what to say next, he felt the need to bridge the gap between them. He reached across the desk, only to find that her body was just slightly out of his reach. “I’m just…” Hopper’s words trailed off as he tried to put a name to exactly what he was feeling. Grief. Disappointment. Fear. Heartache. How could he put a name to it all? How could he explain himself without sounding like a selfish monster?

Joyce roughly swallowed down the sobs that were creeping up her throat. She couldn’t quite process the news. The idea that he was having a baby with someone else just wouldn’t compute. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a long time. Eventually, she shook her head. More for herself, than for him. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything.” Her eyes met his with a new, steely resolve. “About us.”

The blank space between his eyebrows crinkled in confusion. “What?”

Joyce loved him. Without a doubt. Hopper made her happy. He kept her calm. He understood her in ways that no one else ever could. But, the universe had never been on their side. The unplanned pregnancy was just more proof of that. Life wasn’t a fairy tale, and she knew better than anyone that some people just weren’t destined to get their happy ending. “I get it.”

“You get what?” His response was gruff, bordering on harsh. He hadn’t slept. He hadn’t eaten. It had taken every ounce of his self-control not to drown himself in the nearest mind numbing substance. Hopper didn’t know what scared him more. Raising another child, or losing the woman he loved. Running a hand through his messy hair, he urged, “help me out here Joyce.”

In a flurry of movement, she stood up. Her tiny, but fierce body was rigid with tension. “That this is over.” She pointed to the space between their bodies. “I get it. You don’t have to say it.”

Bile rose up and burned his throat. It rendered him incapable of speech, so he could do nothing but stare up at her with wide eyes.

“You’re a good man, Hop. I know you’ll want to do the right thing.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself, or him. “And I don’t want you to worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

Slightly irked that she was putting words in his mouth, Hopper snapped, “It’s not the 50’s.”

Joyce rolled her eyes. “I know that. And I also know you.”

Hopper let out a frustrated sigh. “Do you?” He stood up on weak legs and slammed one of his desk drawers shut. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Shaking his head, Hopper took deep breaths to keep his temper under control. He didn’t want to fight with her. He wanted to reach out and grab her and beg her to help him through this. “I don’t wanna be with Linda. And she doesn’t wanna be with me either.” Joyce started to argue, but he cut her off. “I wasn’t avoiding you because I wanted to end things. I was avoiding you because I’m not happy about my own kid...and I didn’t want you to see what an asshole I am.”

Unable to stand still, he moved from his desk and sulked around the small room. He continued to vent out his frustrations as he moved. “What kind of person doesn’t want their own kid? Me, that’s who. I’m a total fuck up, Joyce. I really am. This kid...it doesn’t deserve to be tied down to a shit father like me.”

Hopper was facing the door and he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear Joyce approach him. It wasn’t until her hands were pressed against his shoulder blades that he realized she was there. With a groan, he let his forehead bang against his office door. “You deserve more than this,” he insisted. “I can’t expect you to stick around...and I’m not mad.” He kicked the door and let out a bitter chuckle. “At you, anyway.”

Realizing that they were both afraid of the same thing and both making assumptions about the other, Joyce’s mind finally began to think clearly. She pulled at his biceps, and he resisted at first, but eventually, he allowed her to twist his body so that he was facing her. His tearful eyes met hers and then suddenly his arms were wrapped around her, clinging to her like a lifeline. Hopper’s knees buckled from exhaustion and he slid down the door until he landed on the floor. His strong arms carried her down with him.

“I’m so scared.” Hopper choked out. He lost control of his emotions as tears dripped down his cheeks. “I don’t know if I can do it.” He broke down, completely, and she held him while he did so. When he calmed down, she stroked his cheeks and wiped away his tears. They had always been there for each other. Nothing was going to change that and she was hell bent on proving it to him.

“It’s okay to be scared.”

He buried his head into her sweet smelling hair and pulled her into his lap. “Please don’t leave me. Please.” His whispers were like a mantra. Over and over. Begging her not to go. Pleading with her not to end the happiness they had finally found in each other.

Hopper’s words caused her own tears to fall. She couldn’t imagine her life without him now. She didn’t even want to try and knowing that he didn’t want to leave her, gave her the confidence she needed and the strength to keep on going. “I’m not going anywhere, Hop.” He stilled at her words, as if he was afraid that he had imagined it. “We’ll do it together.”

In surprise, he lifted his head up so that he could study her features. Though tears were cascading down her cheeks, she was smiling and he could tell that she was serious. “Are you sure?” He didn’t want to be a burden. He didn’t want to saddle her with more turmoil. When she nodded, he kissed her hard and passionately.

Joyce immediately deepened the kiss, but eventually, her lungs demanded oxygen and she was forced to pull away. Breathless, she watched as he gazed at her in complete admiration. Shyly, she dipped her head down, but soon, his palm was dragging it back up.

“I love you,” Hopper said. The admission was a long time coming and Joyce was quick to offer up an admission of her own.

“I love you, too.”

“Enough. For all this?” His insecure eyes searched hers. He had to be sure. There could be no doubts.

Joyce’s long lashes fluttered closed and when they opened, her lips curved into a soft smile. “We’ve been through worse.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “You’ve got a point there, Horowitz.”

The End.


End file.
